The Cartographers’ Guild is a forum created by and for map makers and aficionados, a place where every aspect of cartography can be admired, examined, learned, and discussed. Our membership consists of professional designers and artists, hobbyists, and amateurs—all are welcome to join and participate in the quest for cartographic skill and knowledge.

Although we specialize in maps of fictional realms, as commonly used in both novels and games (both tabletop and role-playing), many Guild members are also proficient in historical and contemporary maps. Likewise, we specialize in computer-assisted cartography (such as with GIMP, Adobe apps, Campaign Cartographer, Dundjinni, etc.), although many members here also have interest in maps drafted by hand.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ. You will have to register before you can post or view full size images in the forums.

January 2013 Entry: The renments of Castemourn

For the January's Entry I decided to do a map of an old science-lab and industrial complex on a poisioned and hostile planet, in the style of old Resedent Evil games.

Castetemourn was long ago a spacestation on the planet Couldron, used to explore the possibilities of lifeforms on this intoxicated Planet, while heavy terraform engines generate a more or less stable enviroments to examine the inhabitant creatures in a save enviroment. Over the period of fourty years, the tests were producing increasingly successes in genetic manipulation on domesticated creatures, and reprogramming them for massproduction. But on the other side, some infections and illness started to spread amoung the science crew, resulting in a regular exchange of staff members. Only a small part of the crew were constantly in duty, seemingly building up resistencies against the influence of the envirement.
About twenty years ago, the contact to the station collapsed and an exploration crew was send to Couldron to capture the results of the researchteams. Till now, no response came back and the company that funded the station in the beginning, send out another exploration team including a unit of merchanaries to protect the mission.

My only concern is about the water/liquid. Might just be my eyes but it looks like a puddle with high surface tension...i.e. it looks as if it's sitting on top of the land. For me it sort of ruins the scale a bit; it makes the whole thing appear to be miniature.
M

The dotted Lines marks different experimental areas and the still active defence grid. I also like the shallow water with the rocky textures, a Lot of the area is indeed in a shallow water level full of poisioned liquids, which i tried to Archive with the colors.

I love your map, Schwarzkreuz. Is that an atmoshperic proccessor in the middle?

I understand what Mearrin69 is talking about with regards to the liquid areas. I feel it has to do with where the highlights on the water edges are. My defualt assumption is that the light source is coming from the north (top) of the map, so my brain expcects the north "shore" edges of the water features to be in shadow. Does that make sense? It's a little bit of the Esther-principle. (?) I think.

Cheers on a cool looking map. Think I'll have my players land there to get slaughter . . . uh . . . to explore.

Great looking so far and I love the story behind it. Makes me long to be playing a sci-fi rpg right now.

I also looked at the water and it seemed like it was beveled the wrong way or something because it looks like it was higher than the landmass. Still, I'm stoked to see where this ends up, excellent entry.

“When it’s over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best that you were capable of? If so, the score does not matter. But if you find that you did your best you were capable of, you will find it to your liking.” -John Wooden